Lending a Hand

Lauderdale House has been fortunate enough to receive a great amount of interest from volunteers. With only a handful of full time staff, all the help possible is needed. Currently there are a total of about twenty volunteers at the House (Ives, 2010). According to the director, they contribute enough time to be equivalent to about eight full time staff (Nash, 2010). From general duties of stuffing envelopes or monitoring the gallery to working directly with the general director, the volunteers have become a necessary tool in the maintaining the development of the House. Blackadder (2005) emphasizes the support role of volunteers in an organization, and with city-wide centers which advertise volunteer opportunities, such as Camden (Volunteer Center Camden, 2010) and Westminster (Volunteer Center Westminster, 2010), there is a lot of support to be given. The House is unique in its approach to volunteering in that it does not set strict prerequisites for those having an interest in helping. Their volunteers range from ages 20 to 90, speaking a multitude of languages and coming from diverse backgrounds (Heritage Lottery Application, 2010). While it may be difficult to sometimes find a volunteer on a specific day with a specific skill set needed, the House gives them the recognition they deserve in the Lauderdale House Annual Report (2009) along side the full time staff of the House. This recognition, suggests Blackadder (2005) is essential because just like Friends, or those who donate money to an organization, volunteers dedicate time and provide a service that cannot be duplicated.

Blackadder, L., 2005. Influential Friends. Journal of Arts Marketing. 19: p. 6-7.

Ives, K., 2010. Discussion about volunteers in the House. [Discussion] (Personal Communication, 5 April 2010).

Nash, C., 2010. Discussion about volunteers in the House. [Discussion] (Personal Communication, 5 April 2010).

Heritage Lottery Fund, 2010. Lauderdale House Heritage Lottery Fund Application, 2010. London: Lauderdale House.

Lauderdale House Annual Report, 2009. Lauderdale House Annual Report 2008/2009. London: Lauderdale House.

Volunteer Center Camden, 2010. Volunteer Center Camden. [Online] Available at: http://www.volunteercentrecamden.org.uk/ [Accessed 6 April 2010].

Volunteer Center Westminster, 2010. Volunteer Center Westminster. [Online] Available at: http://www.volunteer.co.uk/
[Accessed 6 April 2010].